Back support



Jan. 2, 1968 w. s. RADFORD v BACK SUPPORT FIG. 2

Filed Aug. 18, 1966 FIG.I

INVENTOR WARREN s. VRADFORIJ ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,361,471 BACK SUPPORT Warren S. Radford, 12306 Miles Ave., Cleveland, Ohio 44105 Filed Aug. 18, 1966, Ser. No. 573,326 15 Claims. (Cl. 297230) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A portable back support comprising a base portion and an upstanding portion extending upwardly from the base portion. The upright portion including a sinuously curved front surface having a pair of concave portions and a pair of alternately disposed convex portions which merge smoothly into one another in proportions to give a therapeutic support to the human back when in a seated position.

This invention relates to a therapeutic device and more particularly to a therapeutic pillow.

It has long been recognized that there is a need to provide proper support to the human back in the sitting position. This need is especially important to persons whose occupation requires them to remain seated over prolonged periods of time. The natural tendency at such time is for the body to sag or to be otherwise positioned in such manner as to cause discomfort and even pain. Improper position also results in the undesired tightening of muscles. In addition, proper function of the body internal organs and proper breathing are impaired.

Various attempts have been made to overcome the foregoing dithculty by the use of back rest pillows having a protrusion thereon for applying pressure directed inwardly of the back adjacent the high lumbar region. Such prior pillows have been found to be unsatisfactory in giving the kind of deforming pressure to the body which provides the greatest relief and proper positioning.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a back rest support which applies pressure to the back in such a manner as to give greatly improved support to the back so as to provide improved release of muscle tension, relaxation of muscles, proper positioning of the rib cage, greater facility of breathing, improvement of the posture, and to maintain proper sitting postural mechanics.

In the drawings,

FIG. 1 is a side View, partly in section of a back support embodying the present invention, together with a schematic diagram of a spinal column of a person using the support;

FIG. 2 is a front view of the back support;

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic side view of the back support for the purpose of indicating suitable dimensions of various sizes of back support.

The back support illustrated embodies a portable article which is adapted to be placed upon a chair, car seat or other suitable seat. It has a bottom 10, a back 11, sides 12 and 13, a top 14 and a front 15. The bottom and back surfaces are substantially planar, while the front and top surfaces are curved in a manner as will be hereinafter set forth.

In the preferred embodiment, the interior of the support comprises resilient material 20, such as polyurethane foam, which is covered on all surfaces with fabric or other suitable material, such as polyvinylchloride in sheet form. The covering material may be sewn or otherwise secured together along the edges to form a bag or envelope into which the resilient material may be inserted, whereupon the open end of the bag is sealed or closed in any suitable way.

In one form of the invention, the polyurethane foam is ground to a size sufiicient to pass through a one-half inch mesh screen or through a plate having circular openings of one-half inch diameter. The ground material is thoroughly mixed with an adhesive and moisture and is then molded under pressure until the desired density is obtained whereupon the material is maintained in the mold until it has set to a self-sustaining form. Upon removal of the formed material from the mold, it may be further dried at room temperature and then inserted into the preformed bag or envelope.

The size of the back support may be varied in accordance with the size of the proposed user, but for average conditions it has been found that most needs can be satisfied by a selection from three sizes, which may be termed short, medium and long. Examples of such sizes may be illustrated in the following table where the approximate dimensions are indicated by the representative letters on the drawings:

Dimension Location I Short, in. Medium, in. Long, in.

In each of the back supports designated in the foregoing table the front surface has a lower cavity 22, an upper cavity 24, a lower convexity Z6 and an upper convexity 28. Such convex and concave portions are intended, when formed in accordance with the dimensions set forth in the foregoing table, to be disposed at certain positions With reference to the spinal column 39 of the user. Thus the deepest portion of the cavity 22 is located at substantially the center 32 of the sacrum, the outermost portion of the convexity 26 is located at substantially the center 34 of the lumbar, the deepest portion of the cavity 24 is located at substantially the center of the dorsal 36, and the outermost portion of the convexity 28 is Substantially at the lower end 38 of the cervical region. Such relationship between the concave and convex portions of the front surface provides a sinuous curvature which assures optimum support and maximum comfort to the user. If desired the support may be made thinner from top to bottom but the same relationship should be maintained as is set forth in the cable in order to retain the same relationship between the convex and concave portions at the front of the support.

To achieve a desired degree of firmness of the material which forms the insert 20, it has been found that a batch of 4 pounds of the ground and treated material will, when compressed in the mold to the dimensions recited for any of the examples given, result in a substantially uniform density, with adequate resiliency. It has further been found that a satisfactory result may be obtained if each batch comprises by weight of ground polyurethane foam, 12% by weight of adhesive and 12 /2 by weight of water. The water is added in the form of a spray to the foam and adhesive as they are being mixed together in a conventional mixing machine. The adhesive utilized may comprise a resinous type such as that designated as F102-90 and sold by the Crest-Foam Company of Moonache, NJ. Such adhesive will bind the granulated foam particles together if it is allowed to remain compressed within the mold for about 2 hours and then is allowed to cure outside the mold at room temperature for about 24 hours.

A back support made in accordance with the foregoing procedure preferably has tapered sides with the widest portion being at the bottom and with the curved portions on the front surface extending continuously from the bottom to the top and gradually merging into each other. Such back support will provide a portable therapeutic article and will assist in maintaining proper posture when used over an extended period of time, and particularly to maintain proper postural mechanics of the user in the sitting position.

I claim: 7

1. A portable therapeutic back support device adapted to rest upon the seat of a chair or like support for supporting the human back when in a seated position, said device being of a unitary, one-piece construction comprising, a base portion and an upright portion extending generally angularly upwardly from said base portion, said upright portion having a substantially flat back surface throughout its length and a sinuously curved front surface extending substantially throughout its length, a resilient support material disposed between said front and back surfaces and having the same general contour as said front surface, said front surface including a lower concave portion adjacent said base portion, an upper concave portion spaced from said lower concave portion, a lower convex portion disposed between the upper and lower concave portions, and an upper convex portion disposed adjacent the top of said device, said concave and convex portions being disposed alternately with respect to one another and smoothly merging into one another to provide said sinuously curved surface, the transverse thickness from the front to the back surfaces at the outermost portion of the lower convex portion being greater than the corresponding transverse thickness of the upper convex portion, and the transverse thickness from the front to the back surfaces at the outermost portions of the upper and lower convex portions being greater than the corresponding transverse thickness of the concave portions 2. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the transverse thickness from the front to the back surfaces at the innermost portion of the lower concave portion is greater than the corresponding thickness of the upper concave portion.

3. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said front and back surfaces are inclined in the same general direction away from said base portion.

4. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the curvature of the lower concave portion is greater than the curvature of the upper concave portion.

5. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said resilient material is comprised of a preformed polyurethane foam material.

6. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said upright portion has a length in the range between about 20 inches to 22 inches, the innermost portion of the lower concave portion being disposed upwardly from the base portion about 2%, inches, the outermost portion of the lower convex portion being disposed upwardly from the base portion in the range from about 5% inches to 6% inches, the innermost portion of the upper concave portion being disposed upwardly from the base portion in the range from about 13 /2 inches to 16 /2 inches, and the outermost portion of the upper convex portion being disposed upwardly from the base portion in the range from about 18 inches to 20 /2 inches.

7. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the base. portion has a depth in the range from about 3 inches to 4 inches, the transverse thickness at the innermost portion of the lower concave portion being in the range from about 1% inches to 2% inches, the transverse thickness at the outermost portion of the lower convex portion being in the range from about 2% inches to 3 inches, the transverse thickness at the innermost portion of the upper concave portion being in the range from about 1% inches to 1% inches, and the transverse thickness at the outermost portion of the upper convex portion being in the range from about 1% inches to 1% inches.

8. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the transverse thickness from the innermost portion of the upper and lower concave portions is in the ratio from about 1:1 to 1:2, respectively.

9. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the transverse thickness from the outermost portion of the upper and lower convex portions is in the ratio from about 1:1 to 1:2, respectively.

10. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the innermost portion of the lower convex portion is disposed at approximately the center of the sacral region, the innermost portion of the upper convex portion being disposed at approximately the center of the dorsal region, the outermost portion of the lower convex portion being disposed at approximately the center of the lumbar'region, and the outermost portion of the upper convex portion being disposed approximately adjacent the lower cervical region.

11. A device in accordance with claim 3, wherein a line tangent to the outermost portions of the upper and' lower convex portions extends convergently toward said 'back surface in a direction away from said base portion.

12. A device in accordance with claim 11, wherein a line tangent to the innermost portions of the upper and lower concave portions extends generally parallel to the tangent of the outermost portions of the convex portions.

13. A device in accordance with claim 12, wherein the transverse thickness from the front to the back portions at the innermost portion of the upper concave portion is greater than the distance between said tangents.

14. A device in accordance with claim 4, wherein the curvature of the lower convex portion is greater than the curvature of the upper convex portion.

15. A device in accordance with claim 5, wherein the material comprises by weight, 75% polyurethane foam, 12 /2% adhesive and 12 /2 water, and the polyurethane foam being of a size which will pass through a /2 inch mesh screen.

References Cited Hood 297-460 FRANCIS K. ZUGEL, Primary Examiner. 

